This application pertains to the art of collapsable, articulated structures and more particularly, to the art of collapsable, articulated structural sections and wall units. The invention is particularly applicable to folding wall panels for trade show displays and the like, and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention has other applications such as portable desks, tables, racks, partitions, and the like.
Collapsable, articulated structures generally consist of a plurality of links, often in the form of lightweight, hollow rods. The links are interconnected with pivot joints, slip joints, other forms of moveable interconnections, and the like. The structures are commonly moveable between an erected configuration and a collapsed configuration. In the erected configuration, a relatively large structure is formed, such as tents, shelters, or the like. In the collapsed configuration, a relatively compact arrangement is formed for easy portage.
These structures in their erected configurations, often employ arcuated, or domed, or other geometric arrangements of the links to contribute to their strength and stability. Others have suggested structures which are a complex maze of interconnected pivots and links. Examples of these prior art constructions are shown, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,968,808 and 4,026,313. U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,808, for example, discloses a domed shelter constructed from a series of intermeshing pentagonal or hexagonal sections, each section being composed of crossed pairs of pivotally connected rods. U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,313 shows shelters and other structures. One embodiment shows a panel constructed from alternately disposed units shaped like truncated wedges or pyramids. The units are built of pivotally and slidingly interconnected rods.
A problem with prior art display panels has been the inclusion of arcuate dimensions rather than an essentially planar surface. The prior art panels were frequently derived from scaled down, arched structures or segments of arched or domed structures.
Another problem with the prior art structures has been their complexity and incumbent high labor and material costs. The prior art structures were commonly composed of elaborate intertwining arrays of rods. To the degree, that the structures were divisible into sections, the sections were generally intermeshing.